A Quick Audi A4 History
The Audi A4 has long been Audi's bread and butter car, selling better than any other model for the company.
For years the Audi A4 has been a "mostly" reliable commuter car for millions of people around the world.
The Audi A4 and Audi A4 Quattro are the long running lines of compact luxury-sports sedans by the German auto maker.
Built over 5 generations, the A4 is built on the Volkswagen Group B platform. The first generation succeeded the old Audi 80.
Internal designations at Audi has named the A4 lineage beginning with the B5 in 1994 and currently running the Audi B9 A4.
The Audi B8 and B9 are based on Volkswagen's new MLB platform which is shared across many Volkswagen Group models.
Using a classic front engine, transaxle design, the A4 is offered as a front wheel drive or all-wheel drive "Quattro" model.
Available as the Audi A4 sedan or the Audi A4 wagon (or Avant).
For the 4th generation B8 and onward the convertible and new coupe and 5-door lift back were rebadged as the Audi A5.
Audi A4 Suspension
MGC suspensions is proud to offer suspension upgrades for Audi A4.
The Audi A4 utilizes a multi-link front and independent rear suspension setup.
The front is comprised of 8 control arms, upright spindles, strut and spring assemblies, and an anti-roll bar with drop links.
The rear is made up of control arms and unmarried shock absorbers and coil springs.
It is recommended to begin checking your suspension and steering components for wear at around 60,000 miles. Good base suspension components are vital before moving on to any type of upgrades or modifications.
Watch this video about Audi A4 suspension diagnostics and maintenance. Its a great source of information before moving on to your Audi A4 sway bar setup.
There was a VIN split for the A4 that will determine control arm bushing size and ball joint thread size. Good information to have as you replace suspension parts.
if you would benefit from a list of Audi A4 suspension upgrade recommendations based on your goals and budget, use our Suspension Builder Guide.
A smart place to start for your Audi A4 suspension build.
(Anti) Sway Bars Explained
What do sway bars do for a car? Are they called sway bars or anti-sway bars? We can explain.
Also known as anti-roll, anti-sway, stabilizer, or sway bars, they help reduce body roll or sway, especially when cornering.
Not all vehicles benefit from anti-sway bars. Off road vehicles needing high levels of suspension movement and articulation often have no anti-sway bars.
Motor homes and top heavy vehicles as well as race and high performance cars gain a lot from the use of a proper set of anti-sway bars.
What Sway Bars Actually Do
In the simplest of terms, sway bars are a torsion (twist) spring. In a turn the bar will offset roll from one side of a vehicle to the other keeping things flatter in corners.
When cornering, the inside wheel (suspension) tends to lift, while the outside will compress and squat. The twisting resistance of an anti-roll bar will reduce this lift tendency for better cornering performance.
The thickness and stiffness of the bar, as well as drop link placement determine how much resistance is offered. Aftermarket sway bars are usually thicker and stiffer than factory OEM bars.
Thicker sway bar benefits are better cornering performance and tire grip.
Anti-roll bars attach to the frame or subframe of a vehicle with rubber or urethane bushings and brackets set somewhere between the center line of the bar and the end links. The end links attach to the very end of the bars and to a control arm or strut depending on the vehicle.
Most aftermarket sway bars have 2-5 holes drilled in the end flanges to offer different mounting points for the drop (end) links for stiffness adjustability.
Setting the end links in different locations either stiffens or loosens the roll resistance. The further out you set the ends links from center line the less resistance is offered.
Replacing your end links when upgrading your sway bars is a smart idea. Over time end link bushings wear out the same way control arm bushings do.
Some end links are adjustable to help set the horizontal positioning of a sway bar.
Can sway bar end links cause vibration? Yes.
This can cause issues. Sway bar link symptoms include a floaty steer feel, clunking noises, rattling, vibrations, and excess lifting in corners.
Are Aftermarket Sway Bars Worth It?
For cars that are known for handling, yes. For motorhomes, yes. For cars that are used strictly for street light to street light pulls or drag racing, no.
If you find yourself enjoying your car on twisty mountain roads or canyons, stiffer sway bars are just what you need.
Most sway bar kits can be installed in your garage with basic hand tools and are fairly straight forward to mount.
An average set of high quality sway bars will cost between 500-800 dollars, and will include new urethane bushings. A lot of upgrade bang for your buck.
Watch this sway bar explanation and installation video for some great content on this subject.
Do sway bars affect ride quality? No. During normal highway or street driving where cornering isn't involved, stiffer sway bars will not make the ride stiff or uncomfortable.
3 Best Sway Bar Kits for Audi A4
Now that you have an understanding of sway bars you can probably see how they can relate to driving safety.
If you have made the decision to replace the sway bars on your car with something stiffer for better performance, be sure to buy a high quality brand that is industry trusted and established.
Cheap knockoffs from China can be made out of inferior metals that can crack and break.
I have made a list of 3 sway bar kits we sell at MGC for the Audi A4. All 3 kits have great reviews and offer the best in materials and manufacturing processes.
You can be assured any of them will transform the cornering of your car for years to come without issues or failure. Even in harsh weather.
Sway bars are one of the best Audi A4 suspension upgrades you can make.
1. H&R Sway Bar Kit 2002-08 Audi A4
Complete front and rear anti-sway bar kit with fresh urethane bushings.
32mm front bar (adjustable)
20mm rear bar (adjustable)
Fits A4 and A4 Avant. Fits 4 and 6 cylinder. See fitment guide below for all applications.
H&R sway bar kits are made of high tensile strength (hf) 50CrV4 steel alloy that produces reduced roll response time and increases cornering stiffness over stock.
Larger diameter, stiffer sway bars increase lateral stability and reduce body roll, which improves cornering grip.
H&R sway bars are cold-formed and heat treated with seamless, no-weld end flanges.
Shot-peened for lifetime durability.
To finish off these sway bar kits, they come with fresh urethane/teflon composite bushings that won't squeak or need lubrication.
Audi tuning performance at MGC.
Also available: 2002-08 Audi A4 lowering springs by H&R. Perfect compliment to these sway bars for a budget suspension package.
H&R Sway Bar Kit 2009-16 Audi A4/Quattro
ST Sway Bar Kit 2008+ Audi A4/S4/A5/S5
Fits B8 sedan and wagon. Fits 2wd and Quattro models.
28.5mm front bar.
24mm rear bar.
A smart suspension upgrade project shouldn't stop after coilovers or lowering springs.
Sway bars are a perfect compliment, and are neccessary for any good suspension upgrade project.
ST suspension is a sister company of KW.
All of their products are engineered and manufactured in Germany to the same high standards as KW.
Made of high tensile strength spring steel.
ST sway bars reduce body roll and improve road grip and cornering.
Precision engineered to provide the best performance possible, ST sway bars are cold formed then powder coated for lifetime durability.
Kits come complete with new urethane sway bar bushings and any necessary hardware for a quick and easy installation.
Product images are example only and may not be the exact bar(s) for your car.
One of the best Audi upgrades you can do.
Check your sway bar end links for excess play or bushing wear and replace if necessary.
Eibach Sway Bar Kit 2008-15 Audi A4/A5/S5
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Be sure to read and comment on all of our blog content. We also carry Audi A4 exhaust systems.
Use Exhaust Tech for suggestions.
If you have an Audi A4 for sale contact us.